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Software Engineering · Quality Management

Software Quality Assurance

Reference entry · last updated 20260908

Software quality assurance (QA) applies planned activities to build confidence that software will meet quality requirements. It applies the broader quality-assurance concept to software development and maintenance.[1]

First principles and definitions

Quality assurance concerns confidence in the processes used to produce an outcome. Quality control includes activities that check whether the outcome meets requirements. ASQ distinguishes these related functions.[1]

Activities in software delivery

Illustrative activities include defining acceptance criteria, reviewing changes, maintaining tests, recording release checks, and using failures to improve the process. Responsibility can be shared among developers, reviewers, testers, and operators.

Code review and property-based testing provide different kinds of evidence. Neither replaces a clear statement of intended behavior.

Evidence limits

A passing test result applies to the tested version and tested conditions. A release decision must also account for untested behavior and known defects. More completed checks do not by themselves establish better quality.

See also

• Acceleration Whiplash
• Code Review
• Property-Based Testing
• LLM Mutation Testing

References

1. ASQ staff, reviewed December 2024. Quality Assurance vs Quality Control.